Friday, September 4, 2015

Southern Adventures With Ceekay

It's been so long since I've worked on my blog I'm not sure I still know how to do it!  We've had so much going on since the last time I was here.  Shortly, after my last post, my precious friend Ceekay came for her yearly visit.  We spent two glorious weeks in late April/early May exploring Mississippi and Louisiana.  Unfortunately, her health has taken a definite turn for the worse and she will never be able to join me on another adventure.  This is for you my dear dear friend!
 
We began our adventure when I picked Ceekay up at the New Orleans airport.  We made our way to our home for the next couple of days, Ormond Plantation, located just outside the city.  The main house was built in 1790.
 
Ceekay took a few minutes to relax in our room while I took pictures of some of the other rooms. 
 

These are just a couple of the rooms we didn't stay in.
 
We soon left for New Orleans where we found a southern-style fish restaurant for dinner and did a little shopping.
 
The next morning we were up bright and early for a delicious breakfast served in the main dining room.
 

But first, we couldn't resist taking photos of ourselves in this fabulous chair.
 
 
New Orleans saw some rain that day but we didn't let that stop us!  We shopped, ate, explored, and took a wonderful carriage ride.
 
The next day I took Ceekay to see my very favorite plantation - Houmas House.  (I blogged all about it several years ago.)
 
Another visitor kindly took our picture for us.
 


We had another fabulous tour of this beautiful plantation.  You'll have to check out my previous post for more pics.
 
Before heading to Vicksburg, we toured the famous Oak Alley Plantation.  Alas, no photos inside the house were allowed.  It was a long day but it was worth it!
 
Back in Vicksburg, we toured the Courthouse Museum........
 
......and had some lunch at the store where the Teddy Bear was invented.  The story goes that Teddy Roosevelt was on a tour of the west when he stopped here.  They had a bear cub in a cage out back and invited the President to shoot it.  Being the sporting gentlemen he was, he refused and the teddy bear was born!
 
We also took a day and drove to West Monroe, Lousisiana where we did a little shopping at the Duck Dynasty store.
 
Finally, we headed down to Natchez, Mississippi where we felt like southern belles for the night at Brandon Hall Plantation.
 
When you are guests at a plantation you are encouraged to take all the pictures you like......
 
.......and touch anything you want to - even 200 year old Steinways.
 
We had gorgeous suite.......
 
.......with out own rooms and bathrooms.
 
Breakfast was served in the beautiful dining room.  There wasn't anyone sitting in the corner pulling the rope to keep the fly swatter going above the table but we enjoyed seeing anyway.
 


In Natchez we enjoyed touring three plantations..............
 
.........and taking another wonderful carriage ride.
 
All too soon it was time to return Ceekay to the New Orleans airport for her flight home.  I will sorely miss our adventures together and I know that for the rest of my life there will come countless times that I will think, "Carolyn would love this!"